Means for loading ships



Oct. 12, 1948., R. L. BURKE MEANS FOR LOADING SHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1947 ATTORNEYS Filed Feb. 7, 1947 l R. L. BURKE MEANS FOR LOADING SHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 X U DJ D i mi INVENTOR.

RICHARD L. BURKE ATTORNEYS Oct. 12, 1948, R. l.. BURKE 2,451,198

MEANS FOR LOADING SHIPS Filed Feb. 7, 1947 s sheets-sheet s Patented Get. 12, 1948 MEANS Fon LOADING smrs Richard L. Burke, Swarthmore, Pa., assignor to Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Chester, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 7, 1947, Serial No. 727,135

Claims.

This invention relates to a vehicle carrying ship and means for loading such a ship. It is directed more particularly to a ship capable of carrying truck trailers, trucks and trailers, and automobiles and means for loading such a ship.

rhe low cost of transportation by water is well recognized. This form of transportation, however, is greatly handicapped by the time required to load and unload. Therefore, where time is an important i'actor in the shipment of goods, it has previously been impractical to take advantage o water transportation.

Due to the fact that they provide door to door service and thus require a minimum of cargo handling, large capacity trucks and trailer trucks are widely used for transporting goods over long distances where rapidity of service is desired. The cost of this method of transportation is very high in comparison with the cost of water transportation.

It is an object oi this invention to provide a ship which can be loaded and unloaded rapidly with cargo carrying vehicles and transport such vehicles between selected coastal points.

In the event that truck trailers are carried without their tractor units, great savings can be realized with no sacrice in promptness of delivery. The number of tractor units required to operate a given number of trailers will be reduced. Savings in labor cost, decreases in the wear and tear on the required operating equipment and a considerable reduction in the specific cost of moving a trailer load of cargo over a long distance will be realized by trucking concerns. Similarly, if the tractor units are transported with the trailer or if a non-trailer type truck is carried, almost as great savings can be realized.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rapid means of loading and unloading a ship with vehicles which can be operated irrespective of the condition of the tide and list of the ship.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a ship, broken away, in combinationwith loading means;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of Fig. 1 showing the main deck of the ship; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of Fig. 1 showing the upper deck of the ship.

In the drawings a vehicle carrying ship is shown as having a keel 2, a main deck 4, an

4upper deck 6, a superstructure deck 'l and a transom stern 8. The main deck 4 and the upper deck extend towards the stern of the ship as far as a vertical plane through the face of the transom stern and have a width at the stern of slightly less than the beam of the ship.

Fig. 1 also shows the ship in a low water elevation with the keel shown at 2', the main deck at Il.

Between the upper deck 6 and the superstructure deck l the deck `supporting structural members I0 are located so as to form a pluralityof parallel vehicle lanes on the upper deck extending fore and aft of the ship, the two inboard lanes being double lanes capable of accommodating two Vehicles I4 side by side at any point while the outboard lanes next to the bulkheads l2 are single lanes.

Similarly between the main deck 4 and the upper deck 6 the structural members ID are located so that the main deck has a plurality of parallel lanes extending fore and aft of the ship, all of which are double lanes and can accommodate two vehicles side by side at any point.

The ship preferably is capable of maintaining a high speed, a cruising speed of 20 to 30 knots being preferred. To economically' achieve such high speed, a narrow beam in relation to the length of the ship is desirable. A beam of approximately 82 feet and a waterline length of about 530 feet is preferred although it will be apparent that the relation of beam to length may vary considerably depending on the objectives of the ships design.

The ship is moored so as to be perpendicular to the shore with itsstern in close proximity to the bulkhead 24. The mooring may be accomplished in a well known manner, such as, for example, by securing lines to -a pier or to dolphins.

In order to load and unload the ship, a bank of elevators comprising the elevators I6, each capable of carrying two vehicles side by side on an elevator platform I'B, are located so that each lane of the moored ship may be loaded or unloaded by moving vehicles in a, substantially straight line and so that the elevator platforms I3 extend to a point in close proximity to a vertical plane adjacent the stern ends of the main deck 4 and the upper deck 6.

The elevators may be actuated by a well known mechanism suitable for handling heavy loads of the order of loaded trucks and trailers. The main supports 2li of the elevators are mounted in concrete piles l2l or on concrete footings, which ex- 3 tend downward from step 22 in the bulkhead 24.

Extending approximately the full width of the platformsl are brow plates '28 which bridge the gap between the dock 3i) and the platforms I8 while moving vehicles between therdock and the platforms. medium gauge steel and are hinged to the platform it atilgso that they may be stowediorr. the`r platforms iSwhen not in use.

One end of Ibrow plates 34 is hinged to the ship side of the platforms I8 at 36. has six brow plates 34' which are individually hinged and form a brow 37. The other end of the plates 343 rests on the deckY whi'clriS-being loaded or unloaded. When not bridgingV--thegapf between the platforms and a deck, the brow plates are swung to a positionv fiat on; the: platforms.

A chain, or other flexible means, may be secured to the under side of these plates to permit the platesv of eachplatform-- to be swung as a unit and yet permit each plate' to -moveindependently when resting onav deckofthe ship.-

The brow plates Se; not only serve-to` bridgev the varyinggap -between the platforms |781 and the ship and compensate'vforl verticalmotion7 ofl the ship, but also compensate for any list the ship mayhave. Consider, for example that the` shipv has a list to port so that when the end elevator opposite the port outboard-laneispositionedwith its platform I8- levelrwiththe main deck opposite thel sideof the platform nearest the-,center line These plates are preferably made of Each platform` of-theship, the main deckopposite theotherside ofthe platform is six inches below theplatform.

Since in thisillustration thebrow comprises six brow plates, each` brow plate covers approxh mately one sixth of the totalwidthof the elevator platform. Consequently, the deck opposite; the outboardsideof each brow platefwillfbe approxi- 'mately one sixth of the six inch drop ofthe decke opposite l the elevator. platform; or: one-.inch lower than the-'deck' oppositeV the inboard sidev of theV brow! plate. The exibility of the. brow plates permits them to bend' sufficiently so that despite, thelist of the deck their ship side endswill bear at all'points on the deckwhenthey are subjected to a load.'V i

Thusthe formation off abrow by. usinga plural. ity of independently. hinged plates; compensates the browv for the list of the ship by permitting each plate toY drop to the levelfofthe, highnpoint, ofvr the deck opposite the plate and: by having eachy plate covering a small enough;incrementof the width of the elevator platforrnsov that the flexibility of the plate will` permitiit`A to; bend sllciently to bear at all pointsonthe listed surface: of the deck.

If a one piece brow plate. similar to the brow.

plates .2S 'were usedjfor the ship; side of theelevaf tor platform under similar conditions of, list',;,it: is apparent that only a relatively small'portion offthe inboard end of' the lbrowf would'beable.A tobear on the deck while loading or; unioading` the vehicles. rlhe plate could notA possibly-have; the requisite strength and still'bend: enough toy compensate for the list. Thus, if the ship werev not on aperfec'tly even keel, loading'andunload-- ing would.y haveA to cease untilshe was placedfin, such a condition. Since it isgarrimpossibilityl to;

maintain a ship on an evengkeelr whileY loading and unloading cargo,l loading means whichf require such a. condition; ofV trim are obviously impractical.

Y It willbeapparen-tthatftheelevator IlzprovidesA Y for loadingfa; vehicle lfunderall normallig er1- v 4 countered conditions. ThusL if the main deck is below the level of the dock 30 as shown at 4', the elevator platforms may be brought into coincidence fwith it at this level. Variations of tide have no effect on the eiiiciency of loading. Further, any list of the ship is compensated for by the brow plates 26 so that all of the three elevator: platform may: b e unloaded.: irrespective of list.

It `will be apparent that numerous modifications may be made to the structure within the scope ofthisinvention. Thus, for example, the depth of the step 22 from the dock may be variedV according-td ther range of theY tide where it is located. The-brow plates 34 may be hinged to the deck'ofthe ship instead of to the elevator pla-tfnnrns.r Similarly the brow plates 28 may be hingedtothe dock instead of to the platforms I8.

1. In combination a moored shipr having a vehicle-deck' provided withfa plurali-tyy ot. vehicle lanes-whi'c-zhV extendA from: the stern. of: the ship; and-which arefapproximately lparallelatoithe cene. terlinaofithe-ship,v and:y a; bank= ofV elevators; alt-au shore loading point; said elevators., comprising; platforms andi al pluralityy off brow: plates.: in'- di-vidually` hingedL to the.v shipf..side.of each. plate.- form affording a: plurality;` of: separate-frelatively narrow-surfaces connecting eachplatform tofgsaid deck: ofi tllaship'4 ati the-v stern;n

2. In:` combination; a. moored-` ship.; having a. vehicle deck provided with-alplurality: of Vehicle,v

rlaneswhich extendfrom. thesternaofrthetshipfand whicl'rareiapproximately parallel to ithefcenterlirre:

of tlfiefsliip,V andra banlczofelevators at al shoreii loadingA point, said elevators comprising;r plate` forms;V a plurality/ of; browrnlatesa. individually hingedl: to. the-shiptside .of .cache platform aflolde ing-y a pluralitmof separate; relatively` i-izntrow.l sur-i faces connecting each platform tosaid@deck-oflr vehicledecnprovided with apluralitr 0i vehicle-r lanesiwhichextendaf-rorrrthe sternoftheshipand; which: are: approximatelitpanalleli to. the; center-` linetof the sli-ip; a; bank.:l off elevators Y. at a shore loadinepoint.;saidielevatorscomprisingplatforms extendinato apointj,ineclosefnroximity: tof-avertir@ cat' planeithrouellithe; stern;end,of*Y the vehicle:

deckganot` capable; of: beingg elevated or lowered above below; the,v leve-li` of the: shorefloadingy.v pointitol atnositioneopposite-saida denkend alpine.. ralityfA off, brow;v plates;- individuall-y hingedto the.

ship side of each platforml allenaline-aipluralityioiV seperate;h relatively narrow, surfaces connecting the platform; and4 saiddeck. of, thefship at. the; s YS'IIHaq Y 4l. In; eoinbination. a moored. ship.Y having! avehicle deck provided'with a plurality of vehicld.

lanes which; extend from..the. stern. of. the.. ship and-,which are-approximately. parallelu tothe, c enterlineoffthe-,ship,. ahankfofelevatorsat a` shore loading point, V'said elevators Ycomprisi-nf-i7 pla-t:V Y forms.V extendinetofapoint. inclosehroXimity to v a vertical; plane throughfthe. stern4 end" offline vehicle deck and capable of being' elevatedlor.`` lowered almve.,zandbelovlctlielevelzofL the. shore loading point... togaVVV nositiomopposite. said; deck.l

a plurality @throw piatesindiyidualiv. ningedgto the ship side of eachplatform affording; aplural;

ityoffseparate; relatively i narrow surfaces; con.- nectine they-platform' andi/said; deokoi the" ship at the stern and a brow plate hinged to the shore loading point side of each platform aiording a surface connecting each platform with the shore loading point.

5. In combination a moored ship having a plurality of vehicle decks each being provided with a plurality of Vehicle lanes which extend from the stern of the ship and which are approximately parallel to the centerline of the ship, a bank of elevators at a shore loading point, said elevators comprising platforms capable of carrying two vehicles side by side and extending to a point in close proximity to a vertical plane 6 through the stern end of the decks of the ship, said elevators being positioned so that each Vehicle may be loaded and unloaded by being moved in a straight line and so that the platforms may be placed opposite any deck irrespective of the condition of the tide and a plurality of brow plates individually hinged to the ship side of each platform, and a brow plate hinged to the shore loading point side of each platform.

RICHARD L. BURIiE.

No references cited. 

